Skating appliance.



B. M. LUPTON, Ja. SKATING APPLIANCE. APPLICATION man JAN. 11, 1916.

1., 178,1 65. Patented Apr. 4, 1 916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOIJRAPH c0 WASHINGTON, D. c.

BENJAMIN M. LUPTON, JR., OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

SKATING APPLIANCE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN M. Lor'roN, J12, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skating Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to skating appliances which are adapted to be attached to the body of a skater for the purpose of utilizing the force of the wind to assist his propulsion.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a skating appliance that can be manipulated and extended at the will of the skater to present an effective sail areagto the force of the wind, and Which appliance permits the free use of the skaters hands and arms when the sail is not extended.

Another object is the provision of such an appliance that may be utilized to perform the function of a buoyant life preserver.

Another object is the provision ofsuch an appliance wherein two sail members under the control of the respective arms of the skater are employed, whereby said members may be simultaneously or independently spread out to a greater or'le-ss extent at the will ofthe wearer, as occasion may require. Another object is the provision of a skating sail that may be automatically folded or -reefed at the will of the skater.

l'jOther objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear; all of which I attain by thepreferred construction illustrated in the annexed drawings where- Figure 1 is afront elevation of the skating appliance; -,Fig. 2 is a sectional detail through the inflatable portion of one of the sails, as on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3

is a view of the appliance; as in actual use, showing the sails as outspread. Fig. 4k is a similar view showing the sails as released by the skater and reefed. Fig. 5 is a view of one of the sails, showing it as provided with rings instead of hand-holds, and also with button holes for attachment to a garment.

Referring to the drawings, designates a pair of substantially triangular sails of flexible material having their edges preferably reinforced by selvages, hems, cords, or the like. These sails are provided with suitably-located means whereby they can be Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

Application filed January 11, 1916. Serial No. 71,421.

readily attached to the body of the skater so as to extend from a point under his arms to or ad acent his ankles, and they are also .provided with suitably-located hand-holes,

or the like,'which can be readily grasped and the sails thereby outspread to the force of the wind ina manner to assist in the propulsion of the skater.

In the present instance the sails are connected by means of suspension straps 11 which are attached to the upper inner cor: ners of the sails, such straps being crossed as shown and being of sufiicient length to be applied to the back and passed over the shoulders of the skater. The sails are also provided with shorter front straps 12 for adjustable connection with the shoulder straps by means of suitable buckles 13. The sa1ls are also connected by means of a suitably-located buckle strap 14: which is adapted to be passed conveniently around and secured about the waist of the wearer; and they are also provided at or near their lower ends with buckle straps 15 for ready attachment to the legs of the wearer adjacent his ankles. (See Figs. 3 and 4.)

The hand-holds preferably comprise tassels 16, or the like, which are secured to the upper outer portions of the respective sails so that the tassels may be readily grasped by the skater and the sails thus be extended in wing-like manner in order to present an efiective sail area to the force of the wind, as illustrated in F ig. 3. An additional tassel 17 may be secured to the outer edge of each of the sails at a suitable distance below the upper edge, so that by grasping the lower tassel of each sail the effective area of the sail presented to the wind may be reduced, if desired. Upon releasing the tassels, &c., the sails fall loosely at the sides of the skater, thus permitting the free and unobstructed use of his hands and arms, as seen in Fig. 4. The sails may be simultaneously or independently manipulated by the skater, so as to effect variations of motion, speed and direction, at will.

As a simple and eflicient means whereby the sails can be utilized to perform the function of a buoyant life preserver in case'the skater be accidentally precipitated from the ice into water, I equip the body of each sail at the upper part thereof with an inflatable section comprising a double thickness of air and water-tight material, as at 18, said section being provided with a suitable nipple,

as 19, whereby the section may be readily inflated, by blowing with the mouth for instance.

Each sail is preferably provided with a series of inserted rubber bands 20, which are spaced cross-wise throughout the greater part of the length of the sail. These bands being extensible and contractible tend automatically to draw the sail toward the body of the skater when the outspread sail is released from his hand. Each sail is also preferably provided with suitably disposed bucklestraps 21 which may be adjusted to vary the length of the sail within limits, if desired.

7 In Fig. 5 the sail, instead of being provided with tassels, is shown as provided with rings 22 through either of which the hand may be passed when it is desired to spread the sail. In this figure the sail is represented as provided along its inner marginal portion with button holes, as 23, whereby it may be connected with suitably-positioned buttons on the garment of the wearer.

It is to be understood that the sails may be detachably fastened in various ways to the garment of the skater, and that if desired a single sail of double width, or two sail sections, may be directly sewed to and thus be an integral part of the garment, whether the latter be bifurcated or be in the form of a dress or other costume.

Other modifications of my invention will.

suggest themselves in the light of the present disclosure.

I claim as my invention 1. A skating appliance comprising a flexible sail member and means whereby it may be attached to and longitudinally of the body of the wearer so as to extend laterally therefrom in such relation to the arm that the free upper portion of the sail member can be readily grasped by the skater and thereby o-utspread to the force of the wind.

2. A kating appliance comprising a flexible sail member, means whereby it may be attached to and longitudinally of the body of the skater so as to extend laterally there- 7 from in suchrelation to the arm that the free upper portion of the sail member can be readily grasped by the skater and thereby outspread to the force of the wind, and ontractible means whereby the said member,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the when its upper portion is released, is drawn toward the body of the wearer.

3. A kating appliance comprising a flexible sail member, means whereby it may be attached to and longitudinally of the body of the skater so as to extend laterally therefrom in such relation to the arm that the free upper portion of the sail can be readily grasped by the wearer and thereby outspread to theforce of the wind, and elastic means whereby the said sail member, when its upper portion is released, is automatically drawn toward the body of the wearer.

4. A skating appliance comprising a flexible sail member, means whereby it may be attached to and longitudinally of the body of the wearer in position to permit the free upper portion of the sail member to be readily grasped by the skater and thereby outspread to the force of the wind, and means whereby the effective'area of the outspread sail member can be varied.

5. A skating appliance comprising two laterally-extending flexible sail members, a waist connection therefor, shoulder connectime for said members, and-connections at r the ankle portions of the respective members, all said connections being attached to the longitudinal inner portion of each of the sail members;

6. A skating appliance comprising two flexible sail members, means for attaching the same to and longitudinally of the body of the skater, and hand-holds at theouter.

portions ofv the free spective sails i 7. A skating appliance comprising two triangular sail portions having inflatable sections, and means whereby said portions may be attached to and longitudinally of the upper ends of the rebody of the wearer to provide flexible wings I State ofNew York this tenth dayof January A. D. 1916.

BENJAMIN LUPTON,

"(Ikmimissioner 5112mm.

Washington, 50 d 

